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导向 (dǎo xiàng) — (noun) orientation; guiding direction; (verb) to be oriented toward; to guide to

Definition

导向 means 'orientation' or 'to guide toward' — a planned goal or intended direction, not a physical one. Unlike 方向 ('direction' in general), it emphasizes deliberate steering toward a set target.

noun
orientationguiding direction
verb
to be oriented towardto guide to

Examples

  • 导向。
    Gǎi gé kāi fàng dǎo xiàng le zhōng guó zǒu xiàng fán róng.
    Reform and opening up guided China towards prosperity.
  • 导向。
    Zhèng què de yú lùn dǎo xiàng hěn zhòng yào.
    Correct public opinion orientation is very important.
  • 导向。
    Wǒ men yào què dìng zhè ge xiàng mù de shì chǎng dǎo xiàng.
    We need to determine the market orientation of this project.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

导dǎoguide
向xiàngdirection

The sense of 导, to guide, and 向, direction, combine to mean orientation or guiding toward something.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 導; 导 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
道
道dào導
Same sound today

The traditional form 導 pairs 道 (path) as the sound part with 寸 (hand), giving the sense of leading someone. The simplified 导 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 导 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

向 originally drew 宀 (house) with 口 to show an echo in a place; later it was used for direction.

Open 向 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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